Railroad-signal



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

J. H. GIBSON.

RAILROAD SIGNAL.

Nv PETERS. Photo-Lilnogmphm. Wnsllmg'clh D c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. H. GIBSON.

RAILROAD SIGNAL.' N0. 351,319. Patented 001;. 19, 1886.

J. HARPER GIBSON, OF NEW YORK,

PATENT FFICEC N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN RAILWVAY SIGNAL COMPANY OFILLINOIS.

RAILROAD-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 351,319, dated October19,1886.

Application filed October 31, 1885. I Serial No. 181,446. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J. HARPER GIBsoN, of New York, in the county of NewYork, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Apparatus for Opening and Closing Electric Circuits byDeflections of Railway-Rails,of which the following, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact descripzotion.

This invention consists in simple, effective, and reliable devices forautomatically operating signals by the deflections of the rail of therailway, and which devices are applicable to r 5 the rail of the track,so as to be actuated by the downward deflection of said rail incident tothe passage of an engine or train over the saine,and thus signal inadvance the approach of said engine or train,and are also applicable toa switch-rail to be actuated by the lateral deflections thereof inopening and closing the switch,and thereby signal the condition of theswitch and guard against the-running of an engine or car oif the openswitch.

The invention is fully illustrated in the anneXed drawings, whereinFigures I and II are respectively vertical and horizontal transversesections of my invention as applied to the rail of the main track of arailroad. Fig. 0 III is a vertical transverse section showing theinvention in connection with a railroad-switch and in its normalposition, and Fig. IV is a detached verticaltransverse section showingthe invention in its operative position.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents a standard,which is firmly secured at a proper and safedistance from the rail R,either of the main track or of aswitch. Thisstandard is provided with a cap, d, having a central aperture, 6. Uponsaid cap are mounted a series of flexible metallic arms, a a, which aresecured thereon in such positions as to cause them to stand with theirfree ends around a common center directly over the aperture 6. Thesearms are arranged in sets,constitutin g positive and negative poles,connected with the electric circuit, hereinafter explained. The objectof employing a series of said arms is to insure the closing of thecircuit with the plunger P, which is arranged vertically in the centerof the standard A,and projects with its upper end between the free endsof the arms a a, and is composed of wood or other nonconductor ofelectricity, but is encompassed at or near its upper end by a metallicband, I), which is secured thereon in position to be can ried in and outof contact with the free ends of the metallic arms a a by the raisingand lowering of the plunger, said metallic band constituting a series ofconnected electric contact points, as will hereinafter be made apparent.

\Vhen my invention is to be applied to the rail of a main track, I pivotto the side of a prolongation of a cross-tie, or to some other suitablesupport, a lever, Z, one end of which is suitably connected with therail to be actuated by the same when vertically depressed or deflectedby an engine or train traveling over it. The opposite end of said leveris con nected with the plunger P, hereinbefore described, and thustransmits motion to said plunger.

S represents an electric signal, which may be located at any desiredpoint on the road, and constructed in any suitable manner.

The style of signal here selected for anillustration of my inventionconsists of a plate, D, having an orifice, O, and two pivoted arms, it,carrying at one of their ends semicircular disks h h, respectively atopposite sides of the center of the orifice O, and connected attheir'opposite ends to pivoted armatures n n of electro-magnets m m.These magnets are electrically connected with each other in the usualand well-known manner, and are brought within the electric circuit bythe wire 0, running from one of the magnets to the battery B, the wire0, running from the battery to one of the sets of arms a a, and thewires 0 0, extended, respectively, from the other sets of said arms andfrom the other magnet, m, to the ground, the circuit being complete whenthe contact-points b of the plunger P are in contact with the metallicarms a a. The signal S is arranged to cause the disks to be carried bygravity over the orifice O, The lever and the plunger P, with itsmetallic band or contact-points b, are so arranged in relation to therail R and the metoo tallic arms a a that when said rail is relievedfrom the downward pressure, and is in its nor-- mal position, themetallic band b is in contact with the arms a a. and the circuit is thusclosed. The electric current, passing through the magnets m m, causesthem to attract the armature n n, and thereby throws the disks h h awayfrom the orifice O of the signal S, as represented in Fig. I of thedrawings.

In case an engine or train passes over the rail R the latter isdepressed or deflected downward by the weight of the former, and thisdeflection of the rail causes the leverl to push up the plunger P, andthereby carry the metallic band or contact-points b clear above themetallic arms a a, as represented by dot ted lines in Fig. I of thedrawings, and when this is effected the electric circuit is broken, andthe disks h h are allowed to drop over the orifice Oby gravity of thesaid disks. The presentation of said disks through the orifice serves asa signal for the approach of the engine or train.

When my invention is to be applied toa switch,I employ a bell-cranklever, l, one arm of which is connected with the plunger P, and theother arm is connected with one of the crossbars f, by which the twoswitch-rails are tied together, as illustrated in Fig. IV of thedrawings. The metallic band I) is placed on the plunger P in such aposition as to carry said band between the free ends of the arms a awhen the switch is set in line with the main track. thereby keeping thecircuit closed, and causing the armatures n n to draw the disks h h awayfrom the orifice O of the signal S, thus showing that the switch is inproper position forthe passage of an engine or train on the main track.In shifting the switch-rail away from the main track, the bell-cranklever Z draws down the plunger P, and thereby brings the insulatedportion of the plunger in contact with the arms cm, as shown in Fig. IVof the drawings, and thus breaks the circuit and allows the disks h h todrop across the orifice O, to indicate danger to engines or cars runningon the main track toward the switch.

A denotes a case or housing inclosing the standard A.

sired, I attach to the arms a, to which the ground-wire is connected, arod, T, which is extended through a slot in the case or housing 7 A, andis provided with a hook or suitable catch, to, by which it engages withthe exterior of the case when said rod is retracted. In drawing the rod9 outward, the arm a,connected therewith, is held out of the path of theplungerP, and thus the latter can play up and down without affecting theelectric circuit.

To furtherinsure the operation of my invention, I bifurcate or slitlongitudinally the free ends of the arms a a, thereby multiplying thepoints of contact,which complete the circuit."

The plunger P-, I prefer to provide with an insulated abrupt projectiomt, at the end of the metallic band I), as shown in Fig. I of thedrawings, said projection serving to throw the arms aa away from themetallic band b, as the end of said band is moved between said arms bythe plunger, thereby preventing tailing or dragging of metal over theend of the band,

and insuring a positive release of the arms as new is'- 1. The plungerP, having its head composed of a non-conductor of electricity andprovided with the projection t, and the metallic band I), embracing thehead of the plunger adjacent to the said projection, in combination withthe flexible metallicarms a a, arranged around the plunger andmaintained in contact with the head thereof, and electric conductorsconnected with said arms, substantially as described and'shown.

2. In combination with the plunger P and flexible arm a, normally incontact with said plunger, the rod 1', connected with the said arm forwithdrawing the same from the plunger, substantially as set forth andshown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed my seal,in the presence of two attesting witnesses, at Syracuse, in the countyof Onondaga, in the State of New York, this 22d day of October, 1885.

J. HARPER GIBSON. [n s.]

Witnesses;

G. BENDIXON, F. H. GIBBS.

